Ear-muff.



No-703,446; v Pa tented Sept. 2,1962.

L. WILE.

EAR MUFF.

(Application filed Feb. 14, 1992.)

(No Model.)

"ms mums PETERS c0. Pnuruumu, wasumuToN. n. c

of ear-muff with the covering removed.

2 is a view showing the completed ear-mutt:

shows the ear-muff in position.

'UNtTitb STATES PATENT O'rrtcn.

LOUIS \VILE, OF MORRIS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LARS HANSEN, OF MORRIS, ILLINOIS.

EAR-MUFF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,446, dated September 2, 1902.

7 Application filed February 14, 1902. Serial No. 94,063. No model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS WILE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morris, in

the county of Grundy and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ear-Mutts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ear-muffs, and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is aview of the frame of one'form Fig.

the view taken from the inner side. Fig. 3 Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows the framework of an ear-muff made adjustable.

Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the manner of carrying the ear-muffs.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

lVith the ordinary ear-muff there is no means of keeping it in position on the ear except by a connection between the two eara muffs, which draws them toward each other. One of the objects of my invention is to provide an ear-muff which can be firmly at tached to the ear, the muff for each ear being absolutely independent in this connection.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown in Fig. 1 a framework upon which the coveringofthemuffismounted. Thisframework may of course be changed in construction, and I have simply attempted to show one construction by means of which my invention may be made clear. This frame consists of an outer part A, to which the covering D is attached. Associated with this outer part is a clamping device for clamping the muff to the ear. This clamping device may be varied in many particulars, and as shown in Fig. 1 consists of two parts B and C, between which the ear is clamped. These parts are movable'with relation to each other and are also movable with relation to the part or frame A. The part B ismade of such size that it may be passed over the car, as shown in Fig. 3, so that it comes between the ear 1 bare, if desired.

and the head. The part O is then pressed into the hollow of the car, as shown in Fig. 3, the ear being clamped between B and O. Some suitable means is preferably provided for locking the parts in position. As herein illustrated, this is done by the end of the part B engaging the frame A at the point A and forming a clasp, as it were, at this point. By this arrangement the parts may be easily separated by means of the fingers. The several parts may be covered with any desired material, or the parts B and 0 may be left Any such arrangement as may be desired along these lines can he used.

In placing the mulf upon the ear the parts B and O are moved away from the covering D, the ear is then slipped through the opening in the part B, and the part O is then pressed into the hollow of the ear, as shown in Fig. 4, the covering being then in the position shown in dotted lines in said figure. The ear is thus clamped between the parts B and O, the covering is pressed into position, so as to be locked at the point A, and the ear-muff .is then firmly attached to the ear and cannot be removed except by unclamping it at A. To remove the ear-muff, it is unclamped at A, the covering being moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The part O is then moved outwardly and the part B then removed from the ear.- A button or projection 0 may be associated with C, so as to.

facilitate the operation. The part B is shown as pivotally connected to the part A of the frame and preferably runs toward a point where it makes contact with the other side of the frame. It will thus be seen that by means of this device the ear-muff is clamped securely upon the ear and will thus be properly and securely held in position without external aid.

In order that the mud may be made to fit any-sized ear, I may make the ear-receiving opening adjustable. Any desired construction for this purpose may be used. As shown in Fig. 5, the part B is provided with a movable cross-piece B, which slides along the branches of B and preferably fits somewhat tightly, so that it will be held in any position to which it is moved. It will thus be seen that market.

by varying the piece B the size of the space in the partB maybe varied, so as to accommodate it to cars of various sizes.

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying my invention; but it is of course evident that this construction may be greatly varied and that some of the parts may be omitted and others used-with parts not herein shown without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is also evident that the clamping device may be greatly varied, and I have not attempted to set up the various constructions which might be used.

It will be seen that by this arrangement each ear-muff is separate and independent and there is no connection between them, as is the case with the ear-muffs now on the This arrangement facilitates the carrying of such muffs.

I have shown an arrangement in Fig. 6' whereby the muffs are always at hand and can be carried without trouble and their presence will be insured whenever needed. As illustrated in said Fig. 6, I have shown a coat, which may be an overcoat, provided with pockets E E on the inner side and near the top. These pockets may be formed in any desired manner and are of sufficient size to each receive one muff. The pockets may be so arranged that they are not noticeable, and

the muffs may be placed therein and will always be ready for use, and they will further always be accessible and their location always known. These ear-muffs may be sold directly with the coats, thus making them a selling point for the coats, as the convenience of this arrangement will be readily appreciated. The muffs may be loose in the pockets or they may be attached thereto by means of a suitable cord.

I claim- 1. An ear-muff, comprising a suitable covering for the ear, a clamping device associated with said covering and adapted to clamp it to the ear, so that it will be held in proper position, said clamping device adapted to be moved out of the plane of the covering to release the ear.

2. An ear-muff,comprisingasuitableframe, a covering therefor, a clamping device movably connected with said frame and adapted to clamp the ear, so as to hold the muff in position, said clamping device comprisinga part or loop through which the ear passes and a second part cooperating therewith.

An ear-muff, comprising a frame, a suitable covering therefor, a clamping device attached to the frame and com prising two parts between which the ear is clamped, one part engaging the back of the ear and the other the outer face thereof.

4. An ear-muff, comprisinga frame, a suitable covering therefor, a clamping device attached to the frame and comprising two parts between which the ear is clamped, said clamping parts movably connected to the frame, one of said parts engaging the frame when in its clamping or holding position so as to hold or look the parts in said position.

5. An ear-muff,comprisinga suitable frame, a covering therefor, and an adjusting device for adjusting the size of the ear-receiving opening of the muff, so as to fit different ears, said adjusting device normally fixed during the use of the mufi, the ear-receiving opening remaining unchanged when the proper adjustment is secured.

6. An ear-muff, comprising a frame, acovering therefor, a clamping device comprising two parts movably connected with said covering and between which the ear is clamped, and an adjustable part connected with one of said parts so as to adjust the ear-receiving opening of the muff to fit difierent-sized ears.

7. An ear-muff,comprisingasuitable frame, a covering therefor, a two-part clamping device associated therewith and adapted to clamp the muff to the ear, both parts of said clamping device movable in aplane at an angle to the frame of the muff.

8. An ear-mufi, comprising a frame, a covering therefor, a two-part clamping device pivotally connected to said frame, one withinthe other, one adapted to receive the ear and engage the back thereof and the other adapted to be moved to engage the outer face of the car, so as to hold the parts in position.

LOUIS WILE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT E. POWER, J. O. CARR. 

